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sandisk posts

SanDisk ships world's first X4-based flash memory cards, humans wait for capacity increases

by Darren Murph posted Oct 14th 2009 at 5:10AM

SanDisk was busy trumpeting the benefits of X4 technology way back in February, and now the company's tooting its own horn once more by shipping the planet's first memory cards based on the new tech. For those who've forgotten, X4 can hold four bits of data in each memory cell, which is twice as many as the cells in traditional MLC NAND memory chips. In theory, this stuff will allow for bigger capacities in the flash memory that we so dearly love, but for whatever reason (read: cost concerns), the first X4-based SDHC and Memory Stick PRO cards top out at just 16GB. Wake us up when we can slam a sub-$50 256GB SDHC card into our D90, okay?

Toshiba announces first SSD drives using new mini-SATA interface

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 21st 2009 at 4:20PM

Netbook SSDs have come in all manner of shapes, sizes, and connectors for a while, but finding the right model for your machine is about to get a lot easier -- the SATA-IO working group just announced a new mini-SATA standard called mSATA that should put an end to the mish-mash. Toshiba's the first out the gate with 32nm drives in 30 and 62GB sizes, but expect to see mSATA drives and machines from a whole host of heavy hitters in the future, like Samsung, Dell, HP, SanDisk, Lenovo, STEC, and Toshiba. That's pretty good news -- now let's just hope standardization leads to lower prices as well.

Read - SATA-IO announces mini-SATA standard
Read - Toshiba announces first mSATA drives

Video: SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash card does 600x, the hokey pokey

by Darren Murph posted Sep 14th 2009 at 9:14AM

Naw, it ain't the quickest CompactFlash card our eyes have ever seen, but it's certainly up there. SanDisk's new Extreme Pro CF line packs an impressive 600x rating, which is twice that of the Extreme IV CompactFlash card that it shipped right around this time last year. Available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB flavors, this unit promises 90MB/sec read and write performance, guaranteed operation at extreme temperatures and a thumbs-up from Chase Jarvis. Also introduced is the 8/16/32GB SanDisk Extreme, which features 60MB/sec of read and write performance (400x) while going a little easier on the wallet. Both families should be available any day now, with the Extreme gang ranging from $130 to $375 and the Extreme Pro crew starting at $300 and stopping at around $800. Oh, and if you're scouting an ExpressCard reader to handle the new speeds, the Extreme Pro ExpressCard Adapter will splash down next month for $49.99. Enthralling demo is after the break.

Gallery: SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash card does 600x, the hokey pokey

Continue reading Video: SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash card does 600x, the hokey pokey

Samsung says it's absolutely not pursuing SanDisk any longer, just listening to Blood on the Tracks for no reason

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 5th 2009 at 11:51PM

Not sure why Samsung felt the need to reassure investors and the SEC that it's no longer pursuing SanDisk after its buyout offer was withdrawn back in November, but here we are, reading about it in the Wall Street Journal. Apparently the two companies signed a patent-licensing agreement in May, so we'd imagine that's kept lines of communication open -- but we have to warn you, Sammy: getting off that friends ladder ain't exactly easy. Maybe it's time to move on, you know?

SanDisk Sansa Clip+ gets torn down, presumably built back up again

by Vladislav Savov posted Sep 3rd 2009 at 10:25AM

No need to twist our arm to get a confession: we absolutely enjoy seeing ultra-complex hardware getting dissected bit by bit. But sometimes -- particularly on cold and unwelcoming mornings with no coffee in the cupboard -- we prefer to keep things simple by just cracking open a shockingly rudimentary MP3 player. The spartan Sansa Clip+, which you may know as the Sansa Clip plus a microSD slot, turned out to be a doddle to undress, and its insides were about as uncomplicated as they come. Two SanDisk chips dominate the miniature motherboard, and the fabled marathon-running battery also makes an appearance. If you're not 1) disgusted or 2) confounded by the details we just discussed, you owe it to yourself to check out all the bare naked circuitry in the read link.

[Thanks, Yuki]

SanDisk makes room for unwanted slotMusic cards in new Sansa Clip+

by Darren Murph posted Aug 31st 2009 at 9:49AM

Remember slotMusic? How about slotRadio? Don't feel bad -- no one else on the planet does either. To that end, SanDisk is apparently hoping to push some aging inventory on unsuspecting consumers with its new Sansa Clip+, which is essentially a Sansa Clip with a microSD card slot. The device will ship in a trio of hues (red, blue or black), and you can rest assured that it won't blow any minds with sick new features. It'll play MP3 files on a relatively small screen, get great battery life and barely put a dent in your wallet -- what more could you really want? It's available starting today from Best Buy and the like for $39.99 (2GB), $49.99 (4GB) or $69.99 (8GB).

Update: Looks like a few early reviews have sprung up, with most folks being totally pleased given the low price.

Sony announces specs for 2TB Memory Stick XC

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Aug 5th 2009 at 10:02AM

Looks like those Sony 2TB memory sicks we warned you about way back in January are finally coming to pass, and Sony Insider has dug up the details. As appearing on Sony's oss-formats.org site, the Memory Stick XC keeps the current form factor for memory sticks (most likely these guys will be backwards compatible) with the XC series (XC Duo, XC-HG Duo, XC Micro (M2 XC), XC-HG Micro (M2 XC-HG)) using the exFAT file system, and the PRO series (including the PRO Duo, PRO-HG Duo, Micro (M2), HG Micro (M2-HG)) using the tried and true FAT12/16/32. Memory freaks can thrill to the specifications for the new class after the break.

[Via Sony Insider]

Continue reading Sony announces specs for 2TB Memory Stick XC

SanDisk's 32GB class 10 SDHC card competes for world's fastest

by Thomas Ricker posted Jun 25th 2009 at 4:01AM

When it comes to claims of being the world's first or fastest, there's a big difference between announcing product and actually delivering it for retail. So let's be clear, SanDisk might be announcing the world's fastest 32GB SDHC card today, but it won't be shipping until August. It's not even the first 32GB class 10 SDHC card announced since Panasonic did its unveiling more than a month ago -- and this is where SanDisk's speed claims get confusing. That "class 10" logo is supposed to be a standard means of identify the card's speed as rated by the SD Association. Yet SanDisk claims a max read/write speed of 30MBps whereas Panasonic claims a max of just 22MBps. Guess we'll have to see head-to-head benchmarks to know the truth. Regardless, it is fast and that makes it suitable for capturing 160 minutes of full HD (1920x1080 pixels) video recorded at 24Mbps.

Engadget's recession antidote: win a 4GB SanDisk microSDHC card and reader!

by Laura June posted Jun 17th 2009 at 12:00PM

This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff / companies stop sending things. Today we've got a 4GB SanDisk microSDHC on offer, with adapter and reader included! Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Check after the break for some photos of the prize!

Special thanks to SanDisk for providing the gear!

The rules:

Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) SanDisk 4GB microSDHC card with adapter and MicroMate card reader.
If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
Entries can be submitted until Wednesday, June 17th, 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Full rules can be found here.

SanDisk CEO concedes: "You can't out-iPod the iPod"

by Darren Murph posted Jun 4th 2009 at 8:43AM

It's a truth that many open-minded observers have known for awhile now: Apple rules the roost in the portable media player market, and everyone else is just trying to keep up. Sorry, but it's true. So true, in fact, that SanDisk's own CEO has finally come forward to admit it, recently stating in a Fortune interview that "you can't out-iPod the iPod." And believe us, such a statement probably wasn't easy for Mr. Eli Harari to make. Remember, this is the same fellow that spent boatloads of dough on an "iDon't" anti-iPod campaign back in 2006. 'Course, SanDisk is still a (very distant) second place in the sector, and its flash memory is used in all manners of PMP devices. Still, it's a huge relief to finally hear the mastermind behind slotMusic confess that he doesn't actually believe such gimmicks will put it on a fast track to first place. Then again, crazier things have happened.

[Image courtesy of dnorton]

SanDisk finally ships pSSD drives for netbook sector

by Darren Murph posted Jun 2nd 2009 at 4:59PM

While SanDisk didn't do itself any favors this morning with its netbook-centric SDHC card, at least it's making up for it somewhat with a legitimate launch here. The outfit's pSSD line, which was originally announced exactly this day a year ago, has just started to ship. The pSSD P2 and S2 both employ a new technology dubbed nCache, which supposedly improves netbook performance by supporting some fresh level of burst performance. In fact, SanDisk claims that these drives offer a non-volatile cache of up to 320MB, though it doesn't bother sharing standard read / write rates. Anywho, the drop-in modules are available now in 8/16/32/64GB sizes, and while exact prices aren't disclosed, we're told that they're "attractively priced."

SanDisk designs "netbook-specific" SDHC card, grossly overcharges for it

by Darren Murph posted Jun 2nd 2009 at 10:07AM

SanDisk, the company famous for making device-specific SD cards that are actually just regular SD cards with stupidly high prices tags, is back again -- and this time, things are just too offensive to laugh off. Designed to provide "extra storage" to netbooks with a multicard reader, these Netbook SDHC cards are priced at $39.99 for 8GB and $79.99 for 16GB. Isn't this kind of stuff criminal in some countries?

Engadget's recession antidote: win one of ten SanDisk 4GB Ultra II SDHC cards!

by Laura June posted May 7th 2009 at 12:11PM

This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff or companies stop sending things. Today we've got ten (yes, ten!) 4GB Sandisk Ultra II SDHC cards to give away. These could make perfect last minute Mother's Day gifts, couldn't they? Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!

Big thanks to SanDisk for providing the gear!

The rules:

Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
Winner will be chosen randomly. Ten winners will be randomly chosen. Each winner will win one (1) SanDisk 4GB Ultra II SDHC.
If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
Entries can be submitted until Thursday, May, 7th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Full rules can be found here.

Rusted Steampunk USB Drive offers 4GB of storage, free tetanus infection

by Tim Stevens posted Apr 28th 2009 at 9:51AM

Steampunk mods are becoming rather more prevalent these days as tech-addled creative types reject modern sensibilities and revert to a non-existent, whimsical past. The latest such escape is called "Rusted Steampunk USB Drive - no.2," a follow-up to an earlier, slightly less rusty object d'USB. It appears to be built around a 4GB SanDisk Cruzer drive, augmented with weathered, laser-cut hunks of metal. The curvy flourish on the front says "You probably shouldn't put this in your pocket," while the dueling swordfish on the back say "I survived a trip to Rapture and all I got was this corroded chunk of storage." Yours for $40.

[Via Geeky Gadgets]

Continue reading Rusted Steampunk USB Drive offers 4GB of storage, free tetanus infection

Sprint looking to wholesale bandwidth to connected gadget makers

by Darren Murph posted Mar 24th 2009 at 4:57PM

So, what's a flagging cellular operator to do once it has succumbed to the grim realization that no one wants to sign up for your service and you've already collected the dough from selling off nearly all of your towers? Go wholesale, of course! Unbeknownst to most, all of the Kindle downloads on Amazon's white-hot e-reader go through Sprint's network, and given just how successful that little venture has been, the carrier is hoping to expand its revenues from wholesaling bandwidth (which currently sits at just 3 percent of its total) by inking similar deals with connected gadget makers. From internet-connected vehicles to GPS systems to cameras, the options are darn near limitless, and with so much free capacity on Sprint's network, it might as well find companies to use it. 'Course, it's not like Sprint's the only one out there trying to carve these kinds of deals into stone, but it's definitely the one that needs to do it most immediately.